Mike Wolanin | The Republic Motorists pass over the Lowell Road Bridge in Columbus, Ind., Friday, March 15, 2019.
Federal funds for replacing Lowell Bridge and nearby improvements have been approved.
Bartholomew County will receive $5,520,000 for the Lowell Bridge replacement, while a separate grant of $2,397,600 will be provided to another purpose. That money will be used to reconfigure the southern approach to the future new bridge from County Road 325W, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
In order to receive the money, Bartholomew County will be required to come up with 20% of the grant for the bridge replacement, county highway engineer Danny Hollander said. But since the reconfiguration of Road 325W is classified as a safety project, a local match of only 10% will be required, Hollander added.
The reconfiguration will allow traffic a more direct approach between 325W and the bridge, Hollander said. The combination of both Lowell Road and 325W is used by many motorists as a bypass between Jonathan Moore Pike (State Road 46 West) and National Road (U.S. 31).
The total $7.9 million is more in line with the amount required for the project. However, estimates for the entire project have run as high as $11 million.
That compares to $195,000 spent in 1959 to construct the 433-feet long existing bridge.
While construction cannot get underway until after July 1, 2026, there’s plenty to do over the next three years. Challenges will include relocating utilities, acquiring right of way, commissioning environmental studies and various inspections, Hollander said.
The Bartholomew County commissioners have reassured the public that the current Lowell Bridge remains structurally sound. The only county-maintained structure longer than Lowell is the 1,600-foot Southern Crossing bridge and connecting road that opened in 1996.
While federal funding of several projects have previously been announced, INDOT is now providing financial and scheduling updates.
The largest recipient of federal funds in our region is Seymour. The Jackson County city will receive $7.4 million this year after July 1, two grants of $2.9 million and $1.3 million after July, 2024, and a final grant of $3.5 million to be made available after July 2026.
Most of these financial awards will fund four phases of infrastructure improvement along O’Brien Street, Seymour City Engineer Bernie Hauersperger said.
But funds received this summer will also be spent to finance extensive upgrades along Second Street, Hauersperger said.
In Jennings County, bridge deterioration in rural areas has been a significant concern for several years, especially for parents of students who ride a school bus on a regular basis.
The county will receive $3.4 million dollars this year to replace one bridge, as well as upgrade decks on three other bridges, a Jennings County Highway spokeswoman said. According to a notice of funding availability, those projects will get underway after July 1 of this year.
Federal funds will also become available after July 1, 2025 to replace a historic Jennings County bridge along County Road 250W over Duck Creek, the spokeswoman said.
The town of Edinburgh will received $563,591 after July of next year. The money will be used to upgrade a section of State Road 252 that will also include sidewalk improvements, Edinburgh Clerk-Treasurer Scott Finley said.
The town must match 20% of the grant and the work cannot start until after July of next year, Finley said.
